Desk clip for holding blanks



R. l. MEADER 3,8717@ DESK CLIP FOR HOLDING BLANKS Aug. 16, 1932.

Filed July 17, l929 Ill NVENTOR :1 M @j By Attorneys,

@www @h2/Me Patented Aug. 16, 1932 UNITEDy STAings,

'RALPH I. 4IlllEAllDIElR, OFLYNBROOK, `N'IEVV YORK i V DESK cLrPno'R HOLDING BLANES applicati@ mea muy 17,

l This invention relates to holding devicesfor a pile of blanks, such as telegraph' blanks,

adapted to engage the blanks along one edge ,and permit the top blanks to be readily removed Without 'disturbing the pile beneath. Such devices are most commonly used, for

holding telegraph blanks whilethe printedA strips containing the messages are gummed thereon. .The blanks are loose or unattached to each other, and after pasting on one message the operator lifts the top blank and pulls it obliquely free from `the holdingV device. It is desirable that this operation -leave the remaining blanks in the pile unmoved.V v

The present invention aims to provide an improved device for this purpose. Heretofore a prolongedflexiblestrip has been ar- Figure l is a perspective of the deskl and blank-holding clip. A i A Fig. 2 is a plan of the clipwith its-top plate removed.

Fig. 3 is a section` on the line 3 3 in F ig. '2. v

Fig. l is an elevation'pa'rtly in section, on

the lin-e 4 4 in'Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 shows the three springs of Ile chambers shown inFig. 4. Referring to the drawing, a is a support,-

ingV member on `lwhich a'pile of blanks may. ibe placed in the position .indica-ted by the dotted lines b in Fig. l, with their top edges gauged `by a strip c, and Vtheir, right-hand differing edges by a strip (l, their left-hand edges being held by the desk clip indicated as a whole at ngth before beingintroduced into thev of presserfeet, each having preferably an A inFigiire l. vThe gauge strip 'a may be` undercut on its forwardV edge to hold they 1929. seriaiNo. 378,852.

blanks inan oblique pile to facilitate detaching the Lipper blank. Y y

In the operation of such devices the sup-v porting member a; is fastened down to .a desk, or bench, where the operator may convenient-l ly work over the uppermost blank to Vpaste on the strip carrying the printed message.V A pile of blanksfhaving been put in position, the gummed strips are moistened rand applied in successive lines to the top blank, and when this operation isy finished theV operator detaches the lower right-hand corner of the topblank and, lifting it freefrom the stop gauge al, pulls it diagonally downward f .and to the right, and thereby progressively detachee its left-hand edge fromthe gripy of the clip vA.. The desideratumy is that this clip shall so hold the yblanks asto permit thev pulling out in this manner of the upper blank 1 withoutndisturbing thehremaining blanks of the pile, so thatv the operator may proceed to` paste the message onto the nextiblank without loss of time. Y f Y Heretofore the clips has had a single holding member consisting of la flexible `or yieldingstrip bearing down upon the left-'hand edge of the blanks and pressed against themV with varying pressures by springs (usually three) exerting a pressure upon-thestrip which increases from its upper to lits lower;A

soi f end. Difficulty hasbeen foundin VVapplying such elasticstrip and in graduatingthe pressure. The best apparatus yheretofore used has required long springs passing entirely beneath the blanks on the supporting mem'- ber a, and having long adjusting 'screws on ,y

the rightadjustable beneath the supporting member. Y y. vAccording to the present invention the clip A is formed of a plurality (preferably three)v elongated engagement with the margin. of

meniber,pthe feet being pressedagainst the blanks yieldingly by springs lacting through'.V

leversin such manner as to give' a nearly unif. f form r.bearing-down pressure against the;

blanks, whether. VVthapiie ofblanksbejthick.

or thin. rIfhe v'successive .presser feet are lo@ adapted to bear with varying frictional engagement upon the blanks, so that the one nearest the upper corner shall exert the least retarding elect, while that toward the lower corner has the greatest retarding eiect. They are also arranged in stepped relation, so that the upper one engages a narrower margin of the blanks, and the lower one a wider margin. When three presser feet are employed, the middle one has an arrangement and function. intermediate that ofY theV others.

wherein the presser feet are lettered e, e', e,

each being formed as a lever f pivotedson"- a rod g, and each of the three presser feet.

having an elongated bearer portion k. The levers f have each a long# arm forked to engage and carrythe foot or bearer portion L, anda short arm receivingthe upward stress of a spring j, the three springs 7' being conjfined in chambers in a casing k and pressing upwardly through a disk Z and plunger lm.Vv

against the vshort arm Vof the lever. The springs thus act at a decided mechanical disadvantage, which inpractice may be even eater than that shown in Fig. 3, so that the iference in compression'of the spring be.- tween a fullpile of blanks and Yafter it has been -reduced to only one blank, need not f exceed 5 per cent. This insures a'practically uniform stress upon the blanks irrespective of the thickness of the pile. The variation in pressureapplied through the levers to theV Vbearer portions h of the successive feet e,

e, e, is best accomplished by cuttingr the three springs y', which otherwise are alike, to slightly different lengths, so .that when forced into position in the spring chambers in the casing la, they will be under graduated stresses, whereby topress down Vthe .foot e with the least stress, and the foot e with the most, the intermediate foot e having an intermediate stress. lThisV construction elimi-V nates all adjustment ofthe springs andmakes 'a very simple device which is extremely com-l pact andrequires'no attention during use.'` n

The bearer portionsh'o the'presser feet are preferablyso nearly. aligned as to accomplish a nearly continuous engagement with the blanks, but are stepped,-as clearly" shown in Fig. -2,so that the bearingportion of theupper foot e engages only a narrow margin of the blanks, while the others engage progressively wider portions yofthe margin. This facilitatespulling off of the top blank. As the top blankA is pulled outward, it'irst disengages itself from the upper Vfoot ve, while the two others continue to hold down the pile of blanks as soon as it! has slipped outfiromv under the vfirst -foot,

this dropsdown onto the blanks and holds them while the top blank is being pulled`l fromfbeneath the second foot, during which time the pile isfheld by the upperand lower stressfrom its own spring and each transmitting bearing-down pressure to the blank independently of the others. The preferred construction isy that shown, if

closely overlies the levers /f-,it serves as a means forv simultaneously rocking these levers to lift the presser feet for the introductionv of a new pile of blanks. To do this the operator presses Ydownward'on the lefthand portion of the plate p, so that through this plateV pressure is transmitted to the shorter arms ofthe three levers which are thereby rocked against the stressof their springs. f v

The entire clip device is self-contained and is distinct from the supporting member or table a. The spring case; c Vis formed on a supporting blank r which has upright ears s for receiving the pin g, and is fastened to the Ytable a by screws or bolts t, asclearly shown. There are no other extraneous parts, no exposed springs, and no springadjusting means.

An advantage of the stepped-arrangement of the presser feet is that it is no longer necessary to pull outV the top blank by a diagonally Vdownward pull, as apull directly to the right will serve the purpose.

WhatIclaimisz` n .1. A desk clip :tor holding, a pile 'of loose blanks, comprising a supportingY member adapted to locate the blanks, andan -el'on gated holding member-mounted on4 the'supporting member, engaging one Vedge portion oflthe blanks, Vwith means yfor pressing itv down yieldingly against, the pile of blanks,

said holding member formed in a pluralityV Vof steps, all bearing upon tlieblanks and' pro- A jecting to successivelypvarying distances be' yond the 'located edge ofthe blanks.4 y

f2. A desk clip for holding a pile of loose blanks, comprising supporting member:

havingv means orflocating the :blanks thereon and an elongated holding member mountedA portion of the blanks, with means orpr'esssaid supporting mem er engaging one edge.

portion of the blanks, with means for press# ing it down yieldingly Vagainst the blanks, said holding member comprising a plurality of presser feet each bearing upon the blanks,.

said feet projecting to varying distances relatively to the blanks, and engaginga narrower the short arms of said levers, said springs being offdiferent lengths, and a'body-por-V Ation mounted on the' supporting member to Which said levers are pivoted, having spring chambers Ofllniform' lengths in Which saidy springs are confined, whereby the springs impart "ditfering kstresses to the .respective levers.

i In Witness whereof, I haveihereunto signedy my. name.v Y

Y RALPH I. MEADER.

margin' of the blanks at Vone end and a n i l broader margin at the other.

4. A desk @np for holding a pile of loose blanks, Vcomprising a supporting member and an elongated holding member mounted on said supporting member, engagingone .edge portion of thek blanks, with means for pressing it down yieldingly againstthe blanks,

said holding member comprisingv a plurality` of independently. VmovableV levers having laterally-extended presser feet, each bearing upon the blanks, said feet projecting to diti i ferent lengths to successively engage Wider marginal portions of the samel blank. gv

` 5. A desk clip for holding a pile ofloose blanks, comprising a supporting member and an elongated holding member imounted on said supporting member engaging one edge ingit down yieldingly against the blanks, i

said holding member comprising'a plurality c of presser feet each bearingupon the blanks, said feet having prolonged engaging yportions bearing on the blanks, and stepped out `ditlerentially stressV the feet.

.of line with one another so as to foverlap the marginal portion of the blanks VtoV different distances, and said pressing means acting toy 6. A deskV clip for Vholdingloose` blanks, comprising a supporting member andan elongated holding member', mounted on the` supporting member, engaging one edge portion of the blanks, With meanslfor pressing it y down yieldingly against the blanks, said holding member comprising a pluralityof Vseparate presser feet allV bearing upon the blanks, each formed asa lever having long and short arms, the long arm carrying the bearer, portion, and the yieldable means difsuccessive presser Y 9o i er-enti'ally stressing the respective presser l' feet, and comprising springs mounted on the supporting member and imparting stress to the respective short arms.

v7. A desk. clipucomprising a supponcing i member and a pluralityof presser feet each Y i .formed asv av lever, coiledsprings stressing f las I 

